A Yellow Raft in Blue Water

Michael Dorris

Chapter 8

Chapter 9, page 2

page 1 of 2

Summary: Chapter 9

This chapter marks the start of the second part of the
novel, and the narrative voice switches from Rayona to Christine
and from the present tense to the past.

Christine’s narrative begins immediately after the time
Christine expected the world to end. Christine regrets that she
missed a party while getting ready for the apocalypse that never
came and vows to never miss another party. Christine’s brother,
Lee, is the best-looking boy on the reservation, but Christine does
not consider herself attractive at all. She wonders if she and Lee
have the same father, but Aunt Ida never tells them. Ida does not
let Christine and Lee call her “mom” because she was never married.

Lee hangs around with Christine throughout grade school. Christine
is the toughest kid in her class, so the boys always send her out
on dares, which she accepts every time. One day, however, they dare
Christine to cross a natural bridge of stone that runs high over a
stream. She is almost across when she freezes with fear, paralyzed until
Lee comes and pulls her across. When the two walk down the ridge,
Christine makes a mental list of things she should never again dare
to do.

When Christine is a sophomore and Lee is thirteen, a
child of mixed heritage named Dayton Nickles moves to the reservation. Dayton
becomes Lee’s shadow, following him everywhere. By this time, Christine
is popular among her peers, and other girls in her class go to her
when they want to learn about making out. One day, Christine is
in her room and catches Dayton looking at her from the next room.
Taking this look as a sign of Dayton’s interest, Christine becomes
attracted to Dayton. During a powwow the next April, Christine takes
Dayton out to a field and tries to seduce him. They begin kissing,
but Dayton pulls away, telling Christine he thinks of her as a sister.
Christine is furious. Dayton and Christine have a falling-out, and
Lee is torn between them.

Lee is an excellent rider and becomes a rodeo star. However, Aunt
Ida refuses to allow Lee to make riding his profession. Christine
can tell that Ida has other plans for Lee, but she does not know what
they are. Some people claim that Lee will one day be regarded as
the Indian JFK because he is so smart and handsome.

After she graduates from high school Christine gets a
job with the tribal council and constantly goes out with boys. One
night Christine takes a road trip to North Dakota with Diamond,
a young man who already has two children, and they stay there for
two weeks. When Christine comes home, Ida is angry with her because
Diamond’s mother has complained to Ida that Christine is preventing her
from seeing her grandchildren. Christine moves out of Ida’s house
and goes to live with Pauline, Ida’s sister.